Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT FFCE..

MICAH GILLAM, OF ALBA, PENN SYLVANIA,

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,497, dated January 4, 1859.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MrcAH GILLAM, of Alba, in the county of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VVashing-l/Iachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the marks and letters thereon.

Of the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the machine, Fig. 2 being a central longitudinal section thereof.

In each of these figures the same letters indicate like parts.

My machine is composed of the tub or receptacle (a) which is supported upon vertical frame-work Z2),the tub or receptacle having doors or lids (c, 0).

As will be seen by referring` to Fig. 2 the tub or receptacle is about the half of a cylinder. ts interior is lined with antifric tion rollers (cl, d, d). A horizontal bar or shaft (e) has attached to it two beaters or lifters (f, f,) by arms (g, g). lThese beaters are extended from the shaft in opposite directions and are so arranged in relation to each other that when the one is elevated to its highest position the arm of the other will be in about the central line of the tub.

The beaters or lifters are made up of two plates forming a structure like the letter, A, the brace connecting the two plates having the plan of the cross mark of that letter. The shaft to which the beaters or lifters are attached is a horizontal rocker-shaft and is actuated by the hand-lever (it), there being interposed between the handdever and the rocker-shaft connecting rods (i, 77,) arms (7c, 7c), vertical rocker-shaft (Z), connectingn rods (m, m) and crank-arms (n, By these means it will readily be seen that the beaters will have given to them vibratory motion, and that the arrangement of the means is very excellent toward producing an easy and regular action of the beaters with very limited power or force.

The shape of the beaters is such as to act upon the clothes being washed with a lifting pressure, that is, while the clothes are pressed between the beaters and the rollers they are lifted up, thus producing a rubbing and squeezing of the clothes instead of pounding or of pressure alone, which are the more common functions in washing machines of the beaters. The shape of the beaters also allows the water or washing liquid to have more action than is usual in such machines. It will be noticed that the water will have a ready and easy flow over the surface of the beaters and underneath them so that during the motions given the clothes they will be brought in contact freely with all the particles of the washing liquid. In use it has been ascertained that this action of the water in this machine contributes very greatly toward rapid and clean washing, and the clothes are not mutilated and worn as is too frequently the case with washin g by machines.

Having thus fully set out the construction and operation of my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

The beaters or lifters arranged upon the rocker-shaft, within the half-cylindrical tub lined with anti-friction rollers, the rockershaft being operated by the lever, vertical shaft and connecting rods, and the whole being constructed and operated as herein set forth.

MIOAH GILLAM.

Witnesses:

F. G. MANLEY, M. M. MANLEY. 

